For 74 years this large engine, a 40 HP Climax engine built by
the Erie Gas Engine Co. Erie Pa. has been held captive in the
basement of a building formerly used as a feed mill, at that time a
railroad siding ran close to the building and the engine was
unloaded and placed on a native stone foundation. The building was
then built over it, making it impossible to be removed with out
destroying part of the building, which accounts for it still being
in existence.
From what I could learn it has not been run since 1911 when the
business changed hands and a hardware replaced the feed mill. The
belt is still on the engine running to the line shaft, a large
muffler pot at the back of the engine is complete with a 6 inch
exhaust pipe through the wall to the outside. An old deteriorated 5
cell battery of the ‘Hot Shot’ type sets under the front of
the engine with a Model ‘T’ coil for starting. A magneto
friction driven by the flywheel takes over by throwing a switch
after the engine is started, hot tube ignition is also provided and
can be seen just in front of the vertically mounted spark plug,
complete with gas pipe and control valve.
With 6 Ft. flywheels and a disc crank and pendulum type
governor, it is truly a good example of the engine builders art at
the turn of the century. With a good oiling and new wiring I
believe this old engine would run as good as when installed in
1900. I have been asked to not reveal its location.
